


Running Away?

by megsjedi



Category: Haven - Fandom
Genre: M/M, Multi, implied threesome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-16
Updated: 2015-05-03
Packaged: 2018-02-17 15:12:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2314013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/megsjedi/pseuds/megsjedi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's a newcomer to Haven, and it's hard to tell if he's running <i>away</i> from something, or <i>toward</i> something. Dwight just hopes that he'll stay.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Seriously?

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, I'm trying my hand at Haven fanfic. This is somewhat AU since I won't mention things from the seasons except maybe if the thing mentioned is needed in the plot. Do NOT message me saying I've gotten something wrong. I know what I'm doing. Mostly.
> 
> As ever, no disclaimer since they don't do any good.

Seriously?

Mason Thorn (although no one knew his name at the time) drifted into Haven on a lazy May afternoon on his own two feet, walking in an area where it was easier to get around by car. His Converse had seen better days, as had his jeans, t-shirt and windbreaker. His shoulder-length hair was the same color as auburn leaves in fall, his eyes the blue of sapphires, muscled like a swimmer and a face that surely broke hearts, almost as pretty as a girl, and maybe around twenty years old. He carried a heavy-looking messenger bag and a backpack over one shoulder and a guitar case over the other.

“Seriously?” Duke Crocker asked no one in particular as he watched the ridiculously good-looking boy just sort of glide down Main Street while he was sitting at a table outside the café. Audrey Parker, Nathan Wuornos and Dwight Hendrickson sat with him.

Lunch had been Audrey’s suggestion, and she watched the kid with a mysterious little smile. “Looks like there’s finally someone more roguish than you in Haven, Duke,” she drawled.

Duke scowled and threw a French fry at Audrey, who caught it and threw it back. Adding insult to injury, Nathan and Dwight gave him a bombardment of ice cubes. (Everyone Maine native knows better than to allow French fries to hit the ground. Seagulls, man, seagulls. Get your head or clothing crapped on enough times, the message sinks in, or rather, _stinks_ in.)

“OK, enough of ‘Pick on Duke’ time,” Duke held up his hands in surrender. “A new kid. We should do the usual. Check him out, see what’s what, and encourage him to get outta Dodge if he can.”

“No kidding,” Dwight gruffed sarcastically, getting up. “I’ll talk to him, try to find out why he’s here.”

“Mighty nice of you, Sasquatch.”

Dwight just took off.

Nathan shook his head. “You give him more guff than you ever did me.”

Audrey tapped Duke’s nose. “Come along, or neither of you gets to sleep in bed tonight.”

“Hey!” Nathan protested. “Why do I get excluded from bed too?”

“Because you’d just feel bad about Mr. Puppy Eyes and sleep with him.”

“Damn. She’s on to us, Duke.”

XXX

Dwight ambled like he didn’t have a care in the world. Of course, doing the casual thing didn’t look right on him, not with his badge and bulletproof vest and Taser. He was the police chief and it showed. Even without the usual vestments, Dwight radiated a vibe of trustworthiness, responsibility and intensity. While he liked the role, it was a good mask to hide behind, sometimes he wondered how his life would change if he gave it up.

It didn’t take Dwight long to catch up to the newbie. The boy was standing by the fence that surrounded Haven High’s athletic field. Strangely, the kid was staring at the game of pickup football with… longing? Yup, that was it. Longing, like someone staring through a window and wishing to be let inside on a cold, dark night.

“Afternoon.” Dwight said amiably, standing near to the kid.

Blue eyes flashed to Dwight, and a longing of a different kind was quickly covered. “Just my luck. A town’s police chief is the first person to talk to me. Name’s Mason Thorn. Call me Mace.”

 _A nickname that is also the name of a very painful defense spray, how unique._ “Hello, Mace. Dwight Hendrickson. You want in on the game? The kids are friendly.”

Mace glanced at the field one more time, then shrugged nonchalantly. “Wouldn’t be fair,” he replied cryptically, adjusting the guitar case. “You’re not gonna run me out of town, are you? I’ve got business here. And it looks like a nice place.”

Business? Oh bad. “Things aren’t always as they appear. No, I won’t run you out, as long as you obey the law. If you don’t mind me asking, what business?”

“Family shit. Have a nice day, Chief Dwight.” Mace gave him a mischievous grin and turned and walked away, heading in the direction of the town’s small hotel.

“Family shit,” Dwight mumbled, hooking his thumbs in his belt. “In this town, that shit hits the fan.”

XXX

Vince and Dave Teagues had to be the guys in the weathered building marked as _the Haven Herald._ Mace studied them for a minute through the window. Not the oldest guys he’d ever seen, but not spring chickens either.

The receptionist at the hotel had only needed a wicked wink and some flattering before she gave up what he needed to know: Who the biggest know-it-alls in Haven were, although the receptionist confessed to thinking both Teagues were senile old men. Mace could see it clearly, neither man was senile or feeble. Their eyes were sharp and intelligent; nutty old coots didn’t usually have that kind of clarity or purity of purpose.

Know-it-alls, because Mace needed some answers, and his mom had told him he wouldn’t get any answers of any kind, anywhere, except for Haven. He still wanted to roar out his rage and grief at the sky, for his mom had died three weeks ago, too damn young, of liver cancer.

Mace abruptly turned and started walking again, letting his feet make the decisions because his mind was too turbulent to do the thinking.

At least all his stuff was stowed in the room he’d rented for the month. Mace might _look_ down at the heels, but in truth he was rather well-off. Thanks to his mother’s inheritance from her grandfather, Mace’s inheritance from her would keep him flush most of his life, more or less. It was a nice thing, not worrying about money.

Why did Mace walk a lot? He liked walking, and the feeling of getting somewhere under his own power, with his own feet, was remarkable. He’d buy a car eventually.

Maybe a decommissioned military-grade Humvee.

The pavement gave way to wood, and Mace finally looked up to see where his feet had taken him. Haven’s marina, it seemed. He leaned against a wood post and watched the ocean, listening to the susurration of the waves, deeply inhaling the scent of fresh ocean air. No matter how much manufacturers might try, they’d never really capture that smell and bottle it.

Mace kicked off his shoes and socks, sat down, and dipped his feet in the water. He felt a tease of a memory in the back of his head, but it slipped away. There was also the problem of his memory. He had no recollection of anything before his seventh birthday. It was just gone, leaving a big black empty hole in his head.

He just sat there, living in the now, for a goodly while.

  1. “SON OF A BITCH!”



Mace got to his feet and grabbed his shoes and socks, following the echo of the sounds. He stopped at a slip, _Ryan Atlantic 2_ was the name on the back of the boat docked there. “Hey! You need some help in there?” Mace called out.

“Um… Yeah.”

Mace climbed aboard and went belowdecks, finding a tall guy with a mustache and ponytail partially pinned to a wall by some kind of heavy rack. Mace got a grip and helped push it to other side of the room.

“Thanks. Boat’s weight shifted and I was pushed back and… Ehn. Duke Crocker.” He stretched out a hand.

“Mason Thorn. Mace.” He shook Duke’s hand. “I was probably saying it wrong when I yelled, but I don’t know boat protocol.”

Duke chuckled, a wry smile on his face. “Well, the first thing is ‘Ahoy the ship!’ insert boat’s name here, then asking permission to come aboard. I’m not all that picky about it. Other captains can be fanatics about it.”

“Glad I found the calm boat captain, and I’ll remember that protocol.”

“Can you give me hand, Mace? This thing needs to be bolted to the wall, can you hold it upright while I do?”

“Sure thing.”

Just standing there, using his weight to keep the rack in place, Duke bolted it to the wall. They made small talk about baseball during the job, then moved on to the next bit of work. The subject went from baseball to horse races, football and soccer, just about every sport except hockey.

“I don’t suppose you know how to pilot a boat.” Duke changed the conversation after two or three hours. “You seem pretty much able to pick up every other job.”

 _Shit! He noticed!_ Mace’s mom had warned him to not be noticed. “Just good with my hands,” he said vaguely. “Don’t know anything about bein’ a navigator, no license to pilot a boat.” He was busy rubbing grease off his hands with a rag, very studiously focused on getting his hands clean.

“No big deal,” Duke said, placating Mace’s anxiety. “Hey, in return for all the work you helped with, you can eat at my restaurant tonight. Anything you want, on the house.”

Touched, Mace smiled shyly, bashful. “Sure, sounds great.”

“I’ll even give you a ride.”

Some hours later, full of prime rib and good wine, Mace sat back in his chair, admiring the color of an excellent red. He may not have grown up in highly exalted company (middling-exalted, maybe) but thanks to a family friend, he had good taste in wine.

“Having fun?” Dwight appeared at Mace’s elbow.

“Besides being stalked by a cop, yeah.” Mace snickered, waving a hand to invite Dwight to sit.

Dwight smirked and took a seat. “This isn’t stalking, trust me.” He signaled Duke for a beer. “So, how do you like it here so far?”

“Not bad. People’re nice, polite. Helped Duke out with some work on his boat and he gave me a _fine_ dinner in return.” Mace inhaled the bouquet of the red before tasting, and smiled beatifically. “I’m gonna have to give Duke some help _every_ day just to keep drinking _this_. Or I can just buy it myself.”

“You _do_ know that red is five hundred dollars a bottle, right?” Duke asked as he set Dwight’s bottle at his elbow.

“Really? The value is appreciating at a nice pace. Unfortunately, the taste will probably go off in ten years or so.” Mace took another mouthful, savoring it slowly.

Both men were silent until Dwight reached up to tap Duke’s sagging mouth shut. “Kid, there’s a hell of a lot more than meets the eye with you. You look like a vagabond out of a dystopian movie, and you’ve got the taste buds of an accomplished foodie.”

“Practice, Chief Dwight, practice.” _Please stop talking about it, please, someone change the subject!_ Mace decided to change it himself before either man could try to coax more information. He sat back further in his chair, lounging, and gave Dwight a good dose of his ‘let’s go fuck’ bedroom eyes.

XXX

Dwight felt that look go right to his crotch with a jolt. He studied Mace’s eyes very carefully. Eyes like those had led him down the garden path once. Only once; no one could trick him twice. Those magnetic blue eyes were promising many things and would keep those promises.

“What’s the catch?” Duke demanded, speaking for Dwight.

“No catch.” Mace responded, his eyes never leaving Dwight’s.

“I believe him, Duke,” Dwight confirmed. His skin flushed; the heat between them was rising. “You _are_ over 21?”

“Of course.” Mace got out his wallet and displayed his New York driver’s license.

“Twenty-two. I would have guessed younger,” Duke commented.

“There’s never much of a point in lying about something that be found out easily.” Mace’s voice held a light tinge of contempt.

“That’s true,” Duke conceded.

“Wrap up that bottle to go, good proprietor. And another if you have one.” Mace tossed Duke a credit card. “Open a tab to your wine cellar, I expect I’ll be back frequently.”

“I said it was on the house…”

“Not five hundred dollar bottles of wine, dude.” Mace grinned, slapping Duke on the shoulder. “Although I do request that you have a good old fashioned beach clam bake. Haven’t had one of those since… I can’t remember when.”

“You got it, Mace.”

XXX

When it came to “your place or mine?” Dwight chose his place. The walls at the hotel weren’t thick enough to conduct private business.

Mace was a blazing hot bed partner, an animal in the sack. The younger man gave Dwight everything he wanted and then some. It was very late (or very early) until they were finally sated. Dwight rested on his back while Mace lay prone over his chest. He trailed his fingers over Mace’s back, very much enjoying the quiet that came with basking in afterglow.

“Mmmmmmmmmmmm.” Mace almost sounded like he was purring. “Man, D, you can keep me in your bed forever if every night is like this.”

“Can’t promise _every_ night. Sometimes I’m dead tired, and sometimes I have to pull an all-nighter at the station.” Dwight lamented.

“I can understand that. Mom could kinda be like that at times. I could go rolling along for a month without seeing her sometimes. I was self-sufficient and never threw parties.”

“So you were a good boy.”

 _“Fuck_ no. The school sports teams had a uniform rule: ‘get caught drinking and you’ll get pulled from sports.’ I had my bad moments just like any kid. After my freshman year, I was followed everywhere on Homecoming week. That first one, I not only stole the other school’s mascot, I sent the little Billy goat back in anime schoolgirl drag with ‘Original Hentai Tentacle Action!’”

Dwight broke down laughing. “Oh my God! You… you were _evil_!”

Mace smiled smugly. “Yes, yes I was.”

“So, you liked sports.”

 _“Loved_ sports. Went out for everything. Junior Varsity all freshman year. Sophomore year, made the boys’ Varsity football team, starting quarterback. Baseball, shortstop. Basketball, I could always make the three-point shot no matter what position I played. Swim team, diving, and track in between major seasons. I wasn’t Valedictorian, but I was in the top tenth percentile.”

“Then why didn’t you ask those kids for a spot in their pickup game? They’d love to have someone who can really give ‘em a workout.”

That look came back to Mace’s eyes, Paradise seen and then lost. Dwight was going say something, except Mace kissed him until his toes curled and his libido stirred again.

“Mace, you’re gonna kill me,” Dwight groaned, not quite believing that his body was waking so fast. “My back hurts!”

“Then you just lie back and relax, D. I can do the work this time.”

Dwight yelped when Mace’s sinful mouth closed on his cock. He twined his fingers through silken hair, gripping when the boy’s tongue performed miracles. Way too soon, Mace sat up and straddled Dwight’s body, collecting a kiss.

“You…” Dwight shook his head, unable to come up with more. Mace was… incredible.

“You.” Mace tapped the end of Dwight’s nose.

Mace grabbed Dwight’s cock and held it place as he lowered himself onto it with a low moan.

“Oh fuck, Mace,” Dwight exhaled as Mace sat on him, his cock thick and ready.

Mace rubbed Dwight’s stomach. “D, I swear, your cock is the biggest that’s ever been inside me, no lie, not even an exaggeration.”

“You’ve got the tightest ass I’ve ever fucked, no comparison.”

Mace smiled that wicked little smile that heated the room tenfold, then began lifting his body, dropping to spear himself on Dwight, and kept doing it nice and steady.

“You’re so beautiful just like that, sweetheart, moving on me…”

“Think so?” Mace responded.

“Hell yes, sweetheart.”

Mace stopped and changed, rotating his hips in a circular motion, hands behind his head. He was like a stripper, except he fucked himself on Dwight’s pole, a pole dance for two to enjoy privately.

Dwight was going out of his head with desire, but he made no move to touch or hurry Mace along. If the need to come drove him insane, so be it. Most mental hospitals were nice, peaceful places.

He was patient even as his body tried to break his control, his body wanted to move with the boy dancing on him, turn over and drive in mercilessly, but he bit his bottom lip and was still, adoring every second.

“Mmm… mmmmm… hah… aaaahhhh…” Mace moaned. “Mmm… Oh Chief Dwight…”

Mace broke and flexed his legs, moving faster and faster until he was bouncing on Dwight’s cock, riding him for all he was worth. Both men voiced their pleasure upon the descent into decadence, bodies slapping together, sweat pooling, breath mingling, getting so close…

“Dwiiiiiiight!” Mace screamed when he came, back arched.

“Mace!” Dwight shouted then grabbed him and sat up, slamming in harder and deeper, drawing Mace into a multiple orgasm until his final thrust rammed home and he was releasing heavily inside Mace, clutching the smaller man when they were done.

“I think I want you in my bed every night, too. Let’s see how well we can co-habitate and go from there, huh sweetheart?”

Mace simply made a debauched ‘I just got fucked stupid’ sound.

Dwight chuckled, using the towel by the bed for final cleanup, then spooned his body around Mace, both of them falling into a deep, deep sleep.

Parker and Wuornos had morning shift. Mmm, sleeping in…


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took me forever. I re-wrote it a dozen times. It TASKED ME!
> 
> So, that's Mace's Trouble. He managed to NOT kill anyone but he's afraid that he might, and everything he used to like lost all joy. 
> 
> They don't admit they're in love. It might take the whole fic before they do.

I Won’t Say I’m In Love

“Well, look at you!” Duke leered, watching as Dwight and Mace went in for breakfast at the Gull. “You’re lookin’ relaxed, Dwight!”

Audrey looked up from her paperwork and understood exactly what Duke was talking about. Dwight was usually wound up tighter than a freshman’s wedgie; today his tension was gone. Mace, however, was making no effort to look normal. His lowriding jeans, torn at the knees, barely clung to his hips, his shirt was old and washed almost see-through; his sneakers were the only thing that were in one piece. He didn’t walk, he glided at Dwight’s side while looking like a cat well-fed with cream on his whiskers and feathers in his teeth. The whole posture screamed _I got laid!_

“Aren’t you supposed to be at the office?” Dwight asked.

“I know, I’m late, Nathan’s covering things while I have breakfast; I’ll take him coffee and breakfast when I go in.” She was rather relieved when Dwight nodded.

“That’s fine, Parker, as long as _one_ of you is there to cover the office in the morning.”

“He might just make that a standing order,” Mace winked, wrinkling his nose at Dwight when the police chief raised his brows. “What? I like being not rushed in the morning.”

“You made that clear.” The smile on Dwight’s face was one Audrey had never seen before: tender, caring, slightly lusty and all warmth.

Mace smiled the same smile back. “I made a lot of things clear, D.”

“You’re gonna give me diabetes!” Duke protested, bringing them coffee.

“Quiet, Duke!” Audrey shushed him. Duke opened his mouth, then closed it, visibly relaxing and smiling a dopey smile.

She eyed Dwight and Mace. They were unheeding of the world around them, only had eyes for each other. “You guys are already in love,” Audrey marveled.

The pair erupted into vehement denials, both glaring at Audrey like she was growing two more heads. She hid her amusement, knowing that it would injure their pride if she laughed or teased. “Is Nathan’s breakfast ready, Duke? It’s time for me to move along.”

“Uh, right. Yeah.”

Audrey waved bye to Dwight and Mace before entering the kitchen with Duke.

“Looks like it’ll be a while before those two _admit_ they’re in love,” Audrey observed.

“Knowing Sasquatch, he’ll never admit it.” Duke got various pans out of the warming oven and boxed food up to be sure it stayed at least warm. “He’s lost so much. His daughter, his sister… I don’t know if he can open his heart again.”

“I get the feeling that if anyone can, Mace can.”

XXX

After a big breakfast and a lot of coffee, Mace stayed with Dwight for the drive in to the police station. Just to see if he could, he followed in Dwight’s wake, from the car to the Chief’s office. Dwight just smirked at him.

“There are others who have no ties at all to the department, yet they hang out in here all the time. I reckon I can have you here if I want to.”

Mace stifled a snort and took a seat. “No office sex. You’ve got a rep to maintain.”

“Yes dear.” Dwight agreed.

“Hmph.” Mace ran his hands through his hair several times, using his fingers to comb through auburn locks. Despite a shower and thorough brushing, it still felt like his hair was tangled and mussed. It wasn’t, it was the memory of Dwight’s hands…

 _Cut that out!_ Mace banished those thoughts lest he lose the resolve to _not_ be thrown across that desk to get fucked until he could taste it...

“For once, it’s a quiet day,” Dwight said as he thumbed through various papers. “No disasters… yet.”

“Huh?” Mace mentally shrugged away the fantasy. “Disasters?”

“This is Haven. Oh, yeah… I haven’t told you about the Troubles.”

Previous thoughts forgotten, Mace asked “Troubles?”

For the next half-hour, Dwight explained what the Troubles were. Every minute, Mace’s stomach lurched and dropped lower. It all made too much sense, horrible sense. He hugged his middle and folded over it, biting his lip to hold in the whimpers that wanted to escape.

In an instant, Dwight was there, lifting him up, carrying him to the big chair and sitting back down with Mace in his lap. “Sweetheart, what is it?”

“It’s happening to me, it’s _been_ happening…”

“Shhh, Mace, hush now. Don’t fly off the handle, just sit and breathe for a minute.” Dwight rubbed his back, which felt nice.

Mace nodded and remembered how to breathe, inhaling and exhaling through his nose.

“It started just before I turned fifteen. I’d always been good at sports, but then, suddenly, I was _phenomenal._ I couldn’t miss a shot, drop a ball, misstep. I decided to take a kung fu class. Before a month was out, I was in the advanced classes while the sensei and other teachers debated skipping me straight to black belt.

“But then…” Mace had to swallow down the lump in his throat, and blinked rapidly. “I made a mistake. These biker punks, they were after one of the smart kinds to be a mule. I totally lost my temper when I overheard them threatening his mother. I… I almost killed one of them, Dwight. I took on four and got carried away. The assault charges were dropped, they seriously didn’t want to admit that a fifteen year old beat them up, but people looked at me like I was… a murderer, and one inch to left would have made me one…

“People got so bad, Mom and I left, changed our last names to her maiden name and moved away where no one knew us. And then Mom got liver cancer, like life was playing a sick joke on us. She died a few months back. Before she died, she told me that if I wanted answers, I had to come here. To Haven.”

“It’s sports that you learn perfectly?” Dwight asked.

“I only need days to get it right and a month or two be perfect. I’m quick, strong, and adaptable. I can’t let people see it. They can’t know. What if someone military learned of this and I end up in a lab, or brainwashed into the ultimate soldier? Into killing people without a second thought? I can’t let that happen, I _won’t_ …”        

“Hey, hey, sweetheart. No one will take you away, not while I’m around.” Dwight’s tender touch and whispered, calming nothings had Mace melting in relaxation. Mace had a point. His Trouble could ruin his whole life if he wasn’t careful.

“I believe you.” Mace pressed his lips to Dwight’s, intending to keep it brief. His Chief had other ideas. The return kiss was hotter than hell, curling his toes in his shoes. “Mph… mmm… _Dwight…_ ”

XXX

While they were cleaning up and setting themselves to rights, a notion crept into Mace’s head. “Hey, Chief?”

“Yeah?”

“Are you Troubled too?”

Dwight paused in the act of straightening up his desk, and heaved a sigh. “Yeah. If anyone fires a gun within a certain range, the bullet will hit _me._ Even if it has to curve and go in a different direction than the one it was fired in.”

That scared the hell out of Mace, but he crushed it down and shoved it away. “That explains the Taser and the flak vest.” He finished zipping up and made sure his shirt was on right.

“It _can_ come in handy. I’ve taken shots that saved people’s lives. Duke, Nathan, a lot of people would be dead otherwise. It always hurts like a bitch, though.”

“I can probably save myself, Chief.”

“That’s good to know…”

Mace’s shoulders hunched, an unconscious habit on his part. “I don’t mind defending myself, which is all my Trouble is good for now. The thrill of competition is gone.” His shoulders hunched further. “All that seemed so important a few years ago. I guess I’ve learned that a lot of things I used to take for granted weren’t crucial for living.”

Dwight’s hands rested on Mace’s shoulders and started a massage. “Easy, little one, you’re getting too wound up. Hey, sports’ loss is our potential gain. You’re strong, fast and skilled. That could help a lot of people. I can put you in a position to have _some_ authority. Not as a cop. Let me think about it.”

Mace felt his tight muscles ease under Dwight’s skilled hands, and purred. He felt warm and cheerful down to his toes. “As you wish, Chief.”

“Careful, Mace, you’ve already been nailed twice this morning, I might go for three if you keep saying things like _that._ ”

XXX


	3. Chapter 3

Smile

Mace found that Dwight was as good as his word. He gave Mace a good word to the town manager about working with kids in the summer sports program. Mace knew it was a good place for him to be. He was still young enough to connect with younger people, confident and strong enough to keep them in line, and best of all, he projected the air of someone who would _protect_ the kids till he shed the last drop of his blood.

Mace liked being there for them, and he knew that he would reach the point where they would confide in him, it was only a matter of time.

In the meantime, he spent time at Haven PD, getting to know people. Audrey was an awesome, ass-kicking chick, and Wuernos would be better without that massive rod up his backside. Duke was a frequent visitor, and Mace _liked_ him, they got along like brothers.

No one made any secret about Mace’s relationship with Dwight. They had nothing to be ashamed of, after all. The one person who called Mace a fag pervert learned better quickly. And the big guy was so embarrassed about getting his ass handed to him by a kid that taunting from his buddies and neighbors taught him to keep his mouth firmly shut.

Of course, _no one_ said a word about it to Dwight. They weren’t brave enough.

If the days were great, the nights were pure heaven.

XXX

Dwight lay on his stomach while Mace’s hands worked on his back, easing away aches and pain, soothing muscles and teasing knots loose. They wore only boxer shorts, undressed for bed after a day of playing touch football with the middle-schoolers.

“Better now, sexy man?” Mace asked, fingers playing over Dwight’s neck.

Dwight sighed in content. “Much better, sweetheart. What would I do without you?”

“Maybe not get into pick-up football games that bruise you up.” Dwight shivered as Mace leaned down to trail kisses over his neck and spine.

“I get bruised, you take care of me. Even trade, yeah?”

“Good notion, Chief.” Mace run blunted nails down Dwight’s back, followed by more kisses up his spine. “Mmm…” Dwight gasped when Mace licked a long strip from the base of his spine to the top.

Dwight rolled, captured Mace in his arms and pinned him to the bed. Peering at Dwight through a fall of auburn hair, Mace smiled in invitation. “Sweetheart, you’re wonderful; you’re sweet and tasty and sooooo good to eat…”

“My, what big teeth you have, Chief,” Mace hummed. “Hey… mark me with your teeth, sexy man, wherever you want. It’ll be a total rush, walking around with your stamp of ownership…”

“I don’t own you, Mace.” Dwight brushed tender fingers over Mace’s cheek.

“You make me want you to,” Mace confessed, embracing Dwight with his arms _and_ legs. “I’m not a D/s or S/m pet, but still, when you hug me like this, I feel like I’m surrendering. And I don’t mind at all.”

Dwight searched Mace’s face, and saw sincerity and trust, a trust so deep that it made him breathless.

“Dwight…” Mace stopped to moisten his lips. “Chief, I… _I love you.”_

Dwight felt a sensation that was lighter than air spread over him, and his breath hitched in his throat. “Mace…” he whispered in pure wonder. “Oh sweetheart…”

Mace’s fingers covered Dwight’s mouth. “Don’t say it… _show me_ …”

Dwight swiped up the lube from the dresser and started working it into Mace immediately. Mace lay there, arms crossed over his face, legs up and parted, twitching and moaning as Dwight prepped him, coating his insides as far as he could reach. Dwight loved every sound, every move, it let him know he was doing a good job.

Dwight lavished Mace with kisses, nuzzling his chest, sucking his nipples, until Mace was writhing and sobbing in need and _still_ Dwight didn’t take him, not yet…

Dwight chose just the right place, on Mace’s left side over the middle of the ribs, then bared his teeth and bit down, not quite hard enough to break skin but hard enough that it would bruise heavily. Mace cried out in joy. Slow tears leaked from his eyes, happy tears, and he was smiling wide enough to split his face.

Dwight took Mace’s heels in his hands and parted his legs wide, entering him while memorizing the look on his face. Dwight’s entry was deliberate and smooth, and he stifled a chuckle as Mace’s eyes crossed a little.

Not holding back, Dwight started fucking Mace through the mattress. Fucked him mercilessly. Dwight balanced on his heels and used the power of his lower body to drive himself into Mace, who howled his pleasure to the night, his fingernails drawing blood.

In the very last moment before completion, Dwight said, into Mace’s ear “I love you too, Mace, I love you too.”

Orgasm took them at the same time. For several minutes, they lay together, limp and spent and catching their breath.

“We will not tell Duke or Audrey or Wuernos,” Mace said. “They would tease us till we want to kill them.”

“Right,” Dwight agreed, pulling Mace close for an open-mouthed, sloppy kiss.

Mace draped himself over Dwight’s chest. They stayed that way until they drifted off to sleep, comfy and warm.

XXX

Baseball with older teens (boys _and_ girls) was the next game. It was a lazy Saturday, warm and breezy. Duke volunteered to be a pitcher for both teams, strictly underhand. Mace ruled it so and no one argued with him.

Mace took a while to form the teams, questioning each kid closely and figuring out their strengths and weaknesses before deciding on the lineups. He didn’t allow boys vs girls, each team had an equal number of both genders. They decided on the names Team Fusion and Team Green.

“OK! No tripping, no ramming, no hitting; I see anyone playing dirty and you’re outta here! Team Fusion is up first! Play ball!” Mace ordered, then took the position of third base coach, where he could see everything on the field.

The first few innings went well, but at the bottom of the 2nd, Mace saw that one of the boys was skinny and kinda nerdy-looking. He was clumsy and struck out, third out. Team Green members jeered him and gave him light shoves, while Team Fusion members laughed and thanked him.

The kids could _feel_ the weight of Mace’s angry glare, and settled down. They didn’t want to get on his bad side and get barred from playing. Not to mention that his boyfriend was the Chief of Police!

Mace and Duke coached impartially, offering advice to Fusion and Green even-handedly. Things went well until the bottom of the 8th, when Mattie (white and nerdy) came up to bat again. A hiss of soft-voiced threats issued from Green’s dugout, only serving to fluster the poor kid more. He missed, strike one, and soft growling voices told him “don’t swing, just don’t swing, you midget nerd! Don’t swing!”

“Calm it down over there!” Mace yelled.

Mattie tried to swing again, and missed. The profanity poured out from his team, making him blush a dangerous red. His hands were shaking so hard he could hardly grip the bat.

_Trouble…_

Mace stalked onto the field. “OK, that’s it! Team Green loses because of poor sportsmanship! I can’t believe what I’m hearing, you’re all a disgrace!”

Tony, captain of Team Green, burst out of the dugout, swearing up a storm. “So the fuck what if we tell the nerd what to do? He never listens, he was losing us the game! We can start over without that waste of space!”

Mace saw red and was about to ban Tony from summer games when the ground shook. Duke skidded off the pitcher’s mound. “Oh shit… Mace!”

Mace tried to figure out which one was doing it, Tony or Mattie. A longer shudder underground made both boys fall over, and a frightened sound came from the shortstop of Fusion.

It was a girl, Madison. Mace turned to her, holding up a hand. “Hang on, Madison, calm down. You’re not in trouble, its ok…”

“He said it would stop,” the girl whimpered, gripping the sides of her head as if she was in pain. “He promised!”

“Who promised what, hon? Talk to me, please?”

“Why can’t Tony just stop… being… a _bully?_ ” Madison shouted, her voice going up in pitch. The ground shook harder than ever.

“ _RUN!_ ” Duke yelled, shepherding as many kids off the field as he could while others took to their heels without encouragement.

“Madison, please! You’re all right, you don’t need to do this!” Mace cried out, seizing Mattie and shoving him into a stumbling run.

But that left Tony wide open.

Mace turned back to see a mound of dirt racing a streak down the field, right for Tony, who was crying and trying to get up and failing.

“ _Madison, no!_ ” Mace screamed. It was no use. She couldn’t stop…

Mace jumped in front of Tony, covered his head with his arms and braced himself. This was going to _hurt…_

“MACE!”

Duke’s scared yell was the last thing he heard before darkness descended.

XXX


	4. Chapter 4

Freefall

 

 

Audrey sped through the hospital, heart racing. Duke’s message had been pretty sketchy, just _there was an incident at the baseball field, Mace got hurt._ She would someday teach him about giving details.

Finally, she came to the door Duke was waiting outside. “How is he?” Audrey asked.

“I don’t know yet,” Duke said, waving his hand at the door that led to Surgery. “No one is saying anything.”

“What happened?” Audrey took Duke’s hand and got him seated.

“Madison Devon has a Trouble, she makes the earth move. Not in a good way.” Duke pinched the skin between his eyebrows.

Bit by bit, Audrey got the story out of the restless and upset Crocker. Of course he was upset; he hated it when Trouble hit kids, and Mace was quickly becoming a younger brother to him. “So Madison was going to hurt Tony, only Mace got in the way before the kid got hurt.” She sighed. “He has a saving-people thing.”

“He got bowled over and half-buried,” Duke said. “He’s got a knot on his skull, a ton of cuts and bruises, and could have internal bleeding. Definitely think he broke his arm, or maybe sprained it real bad. And Sasquatch…”

…just then rounded the corner and stalked toward Duke with murder in his eyes. “Why did I find out from Nathan that Mace has been hurt? _Why didn’t you call me?”_

“’Cause I knew you’d react like this?” Duke winced, taking a few steps back.

“Dwight, Duke is not Mace’s babysitter.” Audrey stepped in. “Mace saved a kid from getting mown under like grass.”

“Oh… Yeah, Mace really has a thing about protecting kids.” Dwight eased off, rubbing the back of his head.

Information was exchanged and the three of them sat to wait.

“Something really strange,” Duke said. “Madison said ‘he promised this wouldn’t happen’ or something like that. We couldn’t get her to give more detail before the land tsunami.”

“I’ll go,” Audrey said, standing up. “I hate waiting. I’ll question Madison, see if I can get her to say who she was talking about.”

“Good luck.” Duke wished her.

XXX

Dwight made himself think positive thoughts, but the thing he wanted was to hear that Mace was all right. _I just found him, I can’t lose him, not now…_

Duke squeezed his shoulder. “Have a little faith, Sasquatch. Mace is a tough kid, he’ll be fine. Say it with me: Mace will be fine.”

“Mace will be fine.” Dwight repeated. “Mace will be fine.”

“Repeat it to yourself until you believe it.”

Right then, a doctor exited the ward and Dwight stood quickly. “Chief?” Dr. Granger said.

“Mason Thorn. Duke and I, we’re the closest thing he has to relatives here, Doc.”

“Ah,” Granger said, nodding. He was in the know about the Troubles. “Well, the young man is exceptionally lucky. He’s bruised bone deep but there’s nothing broken. He had a subdural hematoma, we had him in surgery just in case the swelling and bleeding didn’t stop. The swelling went down and the bleeding stopped. He’ll be in pain for a week or so, but he’ll be fine. Probably won’t even have a headache when he wakes up. Whatever his Trouble is, it helps him recover. He’ll be taken to a room for overnight observation and to keep an eye on him, just in case. Gentlemen.”

The doctor excused himself and went off on his way. Dwight sat down with a _thump_. “Thank God,” he breathed. He felt limp with relief. He could hear Duke talking to someone on his cell, but Dwight didn’t mind. There were other interested parties, like Nathan and Audrey.

Twenty minutes later, Dwight was sitting by Mace’s bedside, watching him wake up.

“Don’t you _ever_ scare me like that again!” Dwight snapped.

“Sorry, Chief.” Mace murmured, smiling fondly. “What was I supposed to do, let the girl get hit? That impact would have snapped her like a twig.”

“It could have snapped you!” Dwight grabbed Mace’s hand and pressed it to his cheek.

“Naw.” Mace shook his head slowly. “Madison didn’t really _want_ to hurt anyone, it was an accident. I saw her face, she was scared shitless when her Trouble popped out.”

“I… I can’t argue with you, can I?” Dwight said with a rueful laugh.

“Nope. I’m a trouble magnet, but I am _done_ with running away from my problems _and_ my Trouble. We good?”

“We’re good.” Dwight knew it was accept it or lose Mace. Accepting it wouldn’t break his heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the lame ending, but I wanted to wrap this before the musings died. I'll write more for this AU, but this introduction is done.


End file.
